Babes, Bombs, and Blockbusters Movie News Report 12.01.09
Posted by Mike Gorman on 12.01.2009
December is here and it is getting C-O-L-D! So grab some cocoa, stay in for the night and curl up with this week’s edition of the 3B’s News Report. This week’s hotness includes news about the next Amityville Horror remake, some Yogi Bear casting, and who might be playing Marvel hero Hawkeye. Your temp is sure to rise when you see Nadia Bjorlin’s pictorial and see what ten film’s make Mike Gorman’s Movie Eye Candy list.
Welcome to this week's edition of Babes, Bombs and Blockbusters. December is a big time for movie fans as the Oscar hopefuls start to crowd the screens and several big releases grow near, like James Cameron's Avatar which is the inspiration for this week's Top Ten List.
Your Babe of the Week, Nadia Bjorlin, was born in my own home state of Rhode Island. Nadia is perhaps most recognized for her work on daytime TV's Days of Our Lives but has also appeared in several television shows and films. She has been vocal about her desire to portray Wonder Woman in a big screen adaptation of the DC Comic Book and I think she has the… attributes necessary to portray the Amazon princess. What do you think?
Check out today's news bombs!
Been 4 years? Time for a remake of the remake!
Bloody-Disgusting.com is reporting that Dimension Films and the Weinstein Co. are looking to launch yet another remake of the 1979 horror classic The Amityville Horror. You may remember that there was a remake of this film released just four years ago. Remaking a remake so soon? What is up with Hollywood? I add this to the "There are no original ideas left in Hollywood" column. All you can do is shake your head I suppose…
Cloverfield actor risks life and limb for Yogi
IGN reports that Cloverfield actor TJ Miller has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it came to auditioning for the role of "Ranger Smith" in the new Warner Bros Live Action/Animated production of Yogi Bear. After auditioning in person to no avail, Miller submitted a unique video audition that shows him interacting with a live bear. And surprisingly, it worked. He was cast in the role, joining Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake who will portray Yogi and Boo Boo respectively. The video is actually pretty funny. Check it out here for yourself:
Peli's Paranormal Activity follow up is complete
According to Variety, Oren Peli's follow up to Paranormal Activity finished production a few weeks ago. The film, Area 51, is another "found footage" type film that tells the story of a group of teenagers who get into the legendary military installation. Paramount Pictures has acquired the US distribution rights to the film and it will see release sometime in 2010. At $5 million dollars, the budget for this film is still low compared to most Hollywood films but dwarfs the $11,000 cost of PA. While I have stated before that I was disappointed in many ways by Paranormal Activity I do think that it showed a lot of promise and cannot wait to see what Peli did with this new topic.
Is he Hawkeye?
Jeremy Renner, star of The Hurt Locker and 28 Weeks Later told Empire Magazine this week that Marvel Studios is interested in him to play arrow slinger Hawkeye in at least two of their films. When asked which films he was referring to Renner said, "If I was a betting man, I would bet that Hawkeye would probably show up in Thor, and then be in 'The Avengers' but do I know for sure? I can't say. But I'd love for that to happen. It'd be fun." He also added that there is no done deal yet and that anything firm is a ways off. Renner also addressed rumors that he was in consideration for the role of Captain America stating that he is not sure that he would be right for the role and that is not something he has ever discussed with Marvel. I think Renner could do a great job as Hawkeye from what I have seen he could pull off the serious and humorous sides of the purple archer's personality.
Hobbit delay confirmed
As posted on Onering.net, there are reports that production on The Hobbit has been delayed from a March 2010 start to a mid-summer beginning. In a recent interview with a German movie site to promote his new film The Lovely Bones Peter Jackson stated, "We're currently working on the second script which we hope to have completed by the end of this year or beginning of next. When the scripts are completed, we can begin with the exact calculation of the necessary budget. We hope to start filming in the middle of next year. However, we've received no green light from the studio yet." Whoa, what was that last little tidbit? The film hasn't even been given the go by the studio yet? While it is most certainly going to happen soon I am sure that a lot of fans are going to be unhappy if these delays affected the already proposed release date of December 2011 for the first film.
As its release date draws closer, more footage is released from James Cameron's Avatar and man is it not beautiful? Complex sci-fi plot notwithstanding, this film is going to be major eye candy. For me an eye candy film is one that could have the best plot or be a total waste intellectually but is fun for your eyes. Outstanding visual effects and amazing cinematography combine in these films to stimulate the happy places in your brain and often bring one breathtaking moment after another. Narrowing this list down to just ten was difficult but I think I selected a well represented group of films. Without further ado I give you my Top Ten Eye Candy Films:
10. Sunshine
This film is about the sun dying and the screw of a space ship attempting to stop it from happening. It is jammed pack with spectacular panoramic views of the sun in all of its stages. The images evoke perspective and truly encapsulate the powerful nature of space.
9. Moulin Rouge
I know I am going to take heat for including this one but I can't help it. The imagery and excess of Baz Luhrman's Paris are overwhelming. The crisp quality of his shots and the abundance of deep reds and golds gild the lily in a good way.
8. 300
The use of staging and green screen in the production of 300 did something that I think had not really been done before. They brought to life the pages of a graphic novel. I don't just mean that they adapted the material to the screen but that they truly took the images of the book and made them come to life.
7. The Matrix
With the advent of The Matrix we not only saw effective, gorgeous use of darkness, technology and leather but we really saw "bullet time" make its debut. Back bending Kung Fu and mind bending powers were brought to life as we were introduced to this virtual world. To say the images of this film have become iconic now might be an understatement.
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Lush landscapes, fluid bodies and wondrous wire work converge in a perfect storm of visual excess in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This was by far not the first film to present such elaborate fight scenes but it truly broke ground when it transformed Kung Fun on film into a ballet for the eyes.
5. The Fifth Element
For me the most stimulating part of The Fifth Element has to be the way they played with color. Director Luc Besson floods the screen with vibrant, primary hues that tickle the eyes and stimulate your brain.
4.The Empire Strikes Back
I had to include one of the original Star Wars films on this list because they truly were the first films to blow me away visually as a child. I chose Empire because I feel that of all the films in this series it best captured the majesty of the Empire and the true scope of the universe they created. From the ice battles, to Yoda's swamp, each moment is more brilliant than the next and is definitely a memorable visual experience.
3. Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow epitomizes the concept of eye candy to me because I feel that the plot lacked the vibrant dynamic nature of the films cinematography and sets. There is no denying this is a Tim Burton film once you see his signature use of the darker sides of nature. He does more with shadow on a characters face than an entire FX team could do with a trailer full of make-up. His visuals brought this small town to life and provided all of the film's memorable moments.
2. Sin City
When I have highlighted the impact color has had on other films I have usually been referring to the lushness of its excess but with Sin City it is the scarcity of color that makes it stand out. The stark black and white nature of this film is what truly made the comic book panel layouts pop. When something of color appears on the screen you can't help but be drawn to it and wonder just why it is so important that it gets the chromatic treatment. If that is not successful eye candy I am not sure what would be.
1. Jurassic Park
To me there is no film that comes close to the eye candy extravagance of this film. Not only did they utilize CGI effectively to bring dinosaurs to life but they melded the special effects with live action scenes and scenery in such a way that the first time you see this film it takes your breath away. I can remember seeing this in the theater and was amazed at how the entire audience made an audible gasp the first time the characters crest the green hills on the island and we see the dinos. Even more specifically the melding of CGI and mechanical effects in the T-Rex attack scene is brilliant. It displays Spielberg's true mastery as a filmmaker.
Did I miss the film that makes your eyes happy? Let me know!
Your Tuesday ‘Tube Bonus Clip
This week Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez was signed to a million dollar deal to make his directorial debut with Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures working on an alien invasion film. Alvarez got noticed for his five minute short film about a robotic attack on Montevideo titled Ataque de Panic (Panic Attack). You can check out this video here:
Say goodbye, Nadia…
Until next week watch out for the bombs, catch a good blockbuster and check out a sweet babe or two. Oh, and for goodness sake, bookmark http://www.411mania.com. Are you using Twitter? You can follow me and 411mania's zones on these pages:
One last note…
This week I want to use this space to promote a new feature I am getting going that allows you to let out your inner fat kid on Twitter. Welcome to:
Have you eaten something particularly bad for you?
Craving a specific snack like it is nobody's business?
Maybe your jeans are tight and you're having a fat day?
Or maybe like me, you a fat guy (or girl) living your life and encountering some unique moments that you know other peeps could relate to?
Post it on Twitter and add the tag "#fatter", then you can check out your post and others from fellow fatties in substance or spirit on my web site at:
http://www.mykelogan.com/fatter
(All information and gossip gathered from Fark.com, Aintitcoolnews.com, Hollywoodreporter.com, Moviehole.net, Reuters.com, Variety.com, MTV.com, IMDB.com, IGN.com WENN news, and Darkhorizons.com)
